"come in handy" meaning in English

See come in handy in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: en-au-come in handy.ogg Forms: comes in handy [present, singular, third-person], coming in handy [participle, present], came in handy [past], come in handy [participle, past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|come<,,came,come> in handy|head=come in handy}} come in handy (third-person singular simple present comes in handy, present participle coming in handy, simple past came in handy, past participle come in handy)
  1. (idiomatic, informal) To prove to be useful or helpful. Tags: idiomatic, informal Translations (to prove to be useful or helpful): ser útil (Catalan), 派上用場 (Chinese Mandarin), 派上用场 (pài shàng yòngchǎng) (Chinese Mandarin), få brug for (Danish), blive/være nyttig (Danish), van pas komen (Dutch), tulla töihin (Finnish), ilmoittautua palvelukseen [military, war, government, politics] (Finnish), tarvita (Finnish), être utile (French), zustatten kommen (German), gelegen kommen (German), kapóra jön (Hungarian), jól jön (Hungarian), hasznára válik (Hungarian), hasznos [adjective] (Hungarian), (jól) használható (Hungarian), koma að góðum notum (Icelandic), koma að gagni (Icelandic), koma sér vel (Icelandic), fare comodo (Italian), 役に立つ (yaku ni tatsu) (alt: やくにたつ) (Japanese), 役立つ (yakudatsu) (alt: やくだつ) (Japanese), være god å ha (Norwegian Bokmål), være til nytte (Norwegian Bokmål), komme til nytte (Norwegian Bokmål), zgłaszać się do służby [imperfective] (Polish), zgłosić się do służby [perfective] (Polish), przydawać się [imperfective] (Polish), przydać się [perfective] (Polish), vir a calhar (Portuguese), быть кста́ти (bytʹ kstáti) [neuter] (Russian), пригоди́ться (prigodítʹsja) (Russian), ser útil (Spanish), komma väl till pass (Swedish)

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "comes in handy",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coming in handy",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "came in handy",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "come in handy",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "come<,,came,come> in handy",
        "head": "come in handy"
      },
      "expansion": "come in handy (third-person singular simple present comes in handy, present participle coming in handy, simple past came in handy, past participle come in handy)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
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        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Japanese terms with redundant script codes",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with redundant script codes",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Mandarin terms with non-redundant manual transliterations",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant manual transliterations",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Catalan translations",
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Danish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Icelandic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Even though he doesn't really know how to use them, he keeps the tools around, figuring they might come in handy someday.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Vernon Lucas, Standing in the Shadows of Street Legends, Xlibris, page 40:",
          "text": "This is where what I learned in High School really came in handy.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011, Lisa J Cohen, The Handy Psychology Answer Book, Visible Ink Press, page 326:",
          "text": "A charismatic personality is not necessary in most managerial situations, but can come in handy in times of turmoil when workers need to be inspired and reassured about the need for significant changes in their values, goals, and group norms.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Shelley A. Christensen, Subbing with Sanity... ...A Work of the Heart, Xlibris, page 103:",
          "text": "As I mentioned earlier, this is where an understanding of child development comes in handy!",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To prove to be useful or helpful."
      ],
      "id": "en-come_in_handy-en-verb-UuNYKhmH",
      "links": [
        [
          "useful",
          "useful"
        ],
        [
          "helpful",
          "helpful"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, informal) To prove to be useful or helpful."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "informal"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "ser útil"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "派上用場"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "pài shàng yòngchǎng",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "派上用场"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "få brug for"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "blive/være nyttig"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "van pas komen"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "tulla töihin"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "topics": [
            "military",
            "war",
            "government",
            "politics"
          ],
          "word": "ilmoittautua palvelukseen"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "tarvita"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "être utile"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "zustatten kommen"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "gelegen kommen"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "kapóra jön"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "jól jön"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "hasznára válik"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "tags": [
            "adjective"
          ],
          "word": "hasznos"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "(jól) használható"
        },
        {
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "koma að góðum notum"
        },
        {
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "koma að gagni"
        },
        {
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "koma sér vel"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "fare comodo"
        },
        {
          "alt": "やくにたつ",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "yaku ni tatsu",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "役に立つ"
        },
        {
          "alt": "やくだつ",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "yakudatsu",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "役立つ"
        },
        {
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "være god å ha"
        },
        {
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "være til nytte"
        },
        {
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "komme til nytte"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "zgłaszać się do służby"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "zgłosić się do służby"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "przydawać się"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "przydać się"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "vir a calhar"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bytʹ kstáti",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "быть кста́ти"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "prigodítʹsja",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "пригоди́ться"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "ser útil"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
          "word": "komma väl till pass"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-come in handy.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/99/En-au-come_in_handy.ogg/En-au-come_in_handy.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/En-au-come_in_handy.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "come in handy"
}
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "comes in handy",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coming in handy",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "came in handy",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "come in handy",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "come<,,came,come> in handy",
        "head": "come in handy"
      },
      "expansion": "come in handy (third-person singular simple present comes in handy, present participle coming in handy, simple past came in handy, past participle come in handy)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English informal terms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English verbs",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Japanese terms with redundant script codes",
        "Mandarin terms with non-redundant manual transliterations",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with Catalan translations",
        "Terms with Danish translations",
        "Terms with Dutch translations",
        "Terms with Finnish translations",
        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with German translations",
        "Terms with Hungarian translations",
        "Terms with Icelandic translations",
        "Terms with Italian translations",
        "Terms with Japanese translations",
        "Terms with Mandarin translations",
        "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
        "Terms with Polish translations",
        "Terms with Portuguese translations",
        "Terms with Russian translations",
        "Terms with Spanish translations",
        "Terms with Swedish translations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Even though he doesn't really know how to use them, he keeps the tools around, figuring they might come in handy someday.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Vernon Lucas, Standing in the Shadows of Street Legends, Xlibris, page 40:",
          "text": "This is where what I learned in High School really came in handy.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011, Lisa J Cohen, The Handy Psychology Answer Book, Visible Ink Press, page 326:",
          "text": "A charismatic personality is not necessary in most managerial situations, but can come in handy in times of turmoil when workers need to be inspired and reassured about the need for significant changes in their values, goals, and group norms.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Shelley A. Christensen, Subbing with Sanity... ...A Work of the Heart, Xlibris, page 103:",
          "text": "As I mentioned earlier, this is where an understanding of child development comes in handy!",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To prove to be useful or helpful."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "useful",
          "useful"
        ],
        [
          "helpful",
          "helpful"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, informal) To prove to be useful or helpful."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-come in handy.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/99/En-au-come_in_handy.ogg/En-au-come_in_handy.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/En-au-come_in_handy.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "ser útil"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "派上用場"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "pài shàng yòngchǎng",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "派上用场"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "få brug for"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "blive/være nyttig"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "van pas komen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "tulla töihin"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "topics": [
        "military",
        "war",
        "government",
        "politics"
      ],
      "word": "ilmoittautua palvelukseen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "tarvita"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "être utile"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "zustatten kommen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "gelegen kommen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "kapóra jön"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "jól jön"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "hasznára válik"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "tags": [
        "adjective"
      ],
      "word": "hasznos"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "(jól) használható"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "koma að góðum notum"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "koma að gagni"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "koma sér vel"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "fare comodo"
    },
    {
      "alt": "やくにたつ",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "yaku ni tatsu",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "役に立つ"
    },
    {
      "alt": "やくだつ",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "yakudatsu",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "役立つ"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "være god å ha"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "være til nytte"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "komme til nytte"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "zgłaszać się do służby"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "zgłosić się do służby"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "przydawać się"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "przydać się"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "vir a calhar"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bytʹ kstáti",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "быть кста́ти"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "prigodítʹsja",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "пригоди́ться"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "ser útil"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to prove to be useful or helpful",
      "word": "komma väl till pass"
    }
  ],
  "word": "come in handy"
}

Download raw JSONL data for come in handy meaning in English (7.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.